Internal-combustion engine



Feb. 3. 1925- 1.525.365

A. G. BRIDGFORD INTEliNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Now. 2v,- 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A G. BRIDGFORD INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 27, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 3. 1925. 1,525,365

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.' '5 ED QST ATE S ARCHIE GLENN BRIDGFORD, OF AL EDO, ILLINOIS.

INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed. November 27, 1923. Serial No. 677,832.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIE G. Bnmcrono, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aledo, in the county of Mercer and State of Illinois, have invented certain new andv useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will.

enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improve-i ments in heaters for the intake manifolds of internal combustion engines, andconsists in certain improvements over the device shown and described in U. #1,427,059 granted August 22, 1922.

The present invention consists more par-' ticularly in certain improvements in the heating coil and in the spark plug by which an additional plug is dispensed with and the coil and plug united in a single element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction in which the vaporization of the fuel is'carried out with greater certainty and in which the ignition of the gree of surety.

The present invention also aims to provide certain lmprovements 1n the casing whereby the air drawn in to support the combustion at theburner will undergo a certain preheatingin order to better unite with the vapor and to provide a hotter flame with less formation of carbon and a cleaner product.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide an improved casing for use more particularly in conjunction with theintake manifold of the Ford engine and in making certain adaptations of the burner and the air supply in conjunction with this casing as a result of which a compact, simple and inexpensive structure is produced which constitutes an accessory applicable to the manifold without requiring any alteration therein, and which may be installed in a short time without requiring skilled labor.

S. Patent .lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more par ticularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views: i

Figure 1 is a front view of an improved device shown as applied to a Ford intake manifold.

Figure 2 shows the same structure with one-half of the heater casing removed and showing the burner in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 8-3 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken through the heating coil and associated parts.

Figure 5 is an end view of the burner and heating tube, and

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 66 in Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 7 designates the usual intake manifold of the type found on the Ford internal combustion engine in which 8 is the lower horizontal neck connecting with the carburetor, and 9 and 10 the branches which lead to the combustion chambers of the motor. The present appliance is adapted to it about the manifold in order to heat the charge before delivery to. and combustion in, the cylinders of the engine and for this purpose a two part casing is provided consisting of the complemental sections 11 and 12 having the flanges 13 and 14 which are fitted mutually together, the sections being clamped about opposite sides of the manifold as by the bolts 15 or other appropriate fastenings. The casing is shaped to the manifold except that it extends substantially beneath the same in order to accommodate the burner tube 16 having the burner orifice 17 and the burner cone 18 provided with the orifice 19 at the apex thereof. The burner tube 16 extends with its axis substantially horizontally and transversely through the casing having its ends supported in the vertical walls of the respective sections 11 and 12. A plug 20 is threaded into one end of the burner tube 16 and this may be removed from time to time for giving access to the interior of the tube for purposes of cleaning. The plug carries a flange 21 engaging the wall of the section 11 and preventing the tube 16 from being withdrawn axially toward and through the section 12. The wall of thesection 12 is engaged, by a shoulder 2i created by expanding the burner tube to a larger diameter upon the utside of the casing. This larger external portion of the burner tube for convenience in description and for clearness may be termed a barrel 22, the same be ing in communication with a supply of liquid fuel through the connection 23. The formation of the shoulder 21 upon the outside is attained by the production of the op posite shoulder 23 against which seats the porcelain head 24 of the porcelain plug 25. This plug is provided with a second head 26 at its opposite end. and the heads 2% and 26 are of a size to slide within the barrel 22 except that the outer head 26 is provided with an enlarged flange 27 adapted to abut against the outer end of the barrel 22 to restrict the inner movement of the core and to cooperate with a flanged and threaded cap 28 which is used to removably confine the core and its heads in place. The core is traversed axially by a passage which is occupied by the central electrode 29 insulated from the flanged cap 28 and in connection with a source of high tension current. The

electrode 29 extends inwardly beyond the inner head 24, and is turned at substantially right angles to provide the terminal 30 which is spaced slightly from a wall of the burner tube 16, preferably from the upper wall thereof in order to form a spark gap for igniting the vapor. The spark gap will be above the level of the liquid in the barrel and burner tube and directly in the vapor space. The core 25 is wound with a spiral heating coil 31 having sufiicient turns for yielding the degree of heat required, and at its outer end the coil is connected to the insulatedlead 32 through which current is conv yed to the coil. The inner end'of the coil is grounded upon the barrel 22 as shown ;at 33. the wire being affixed as to a bolt 34 attached to the porcelain head 2 1, and the wire is preferably arched as indicated at to produce two points of contact, and the arch gives a spring action-for holdlng the two parts of the wire against the metal barrel.

As shown in Figure 6, the barrel is provided with arcuate slots 36 and 37 to permit 7 the passage of liquid and vapor generated.

,perfotated plate '38 and beneath this plate is :the..a1r chamber 39 in connection with the vertical-elongated air channel e0 formed by the exterior .wall of the casing and intermediate wall ldisposed vertically and substantiallyparallel with the outer wall of the casing and extending downbeneath the perforated plate 38 and being curved at its lower end as indicated at ll? toward the center of the air space39 in order to direct the incoming-air to a low point and a central part of the space for equal distribution through the perforations to the burner.

In the operation of the device, the oil, gasoline, kerosene or other fuelmay be supplied to the barrel 22 and the burner tube 16 by an arrangement of valves such as shown in the prior patent aforesaid, but it is immaterial to the present invention as to how this fuel is introduced. It is apparent, however, that the induction pipe causes the liquid fuel to be delivereddirectly upon the coil 31 which imparts an initial heat to the fuel and preferably the fuel is contained in the barrel22 and in the burner tube 16 up to a level to wholly or partially cover the coreand heating coil. As the liquid fuel moves through the barrel and the burner tube, it will become heated by the coil and converted into a vapor which will issue through the burner orifice 17 and through the cone orifice 19, and will be burned and distributed throughout the casing and against the intake manifold 7, which will acquire a high degree of heat. This heat will be imparted to the ingoing charge to theengine, and this charge is consequently in a condition morefavorable to thoroughcombustionsand a high expansion. At thesame time the casing walls about the manifold acquire also a rather high degree of -heat,

and the incoming air drawn into the channel 40 is raised rapidly to a temperature which causes it to unite with the vapors issuing through the burner orifice 17 A hot flame is thus produced with complete combustion so that a very small residue is formed and the gases given off are by no -means obnoxious and the combustion is-attended with very little, if any, smoke. The heat products pass off through openings t3 in=theltop of .the casing sections at apoint above the air intake .of the carburetor and Where theyiwill pass down beneath the body of the vehicle and not be a source of nuisance.

The heating coil and spark plug are combined in one unit and this unit is withdrawable from the barrel for purposes of testing, inspection, repair and replacement and also lforithe purpose of cleaning the barrel and tube. Appropriate switch connections may be made for turning current into the coil and sparking device.

It will, of course, be understood that the heating coil initially raises the tem= perature of the gasoline or other liquid body .to a suitabletemperature wherein an initial vapor will be given off, which is more readily ignited by the spark plu This initial vapor having been ignited, the balance of the gasoline is burned as a liquid body. The object of having the heat coil on the outside of the burner is to insure its remoteness from the electrode of the spark gap whereby to keep the spark from jumping to the heat coil and allowing sufficient room on the end of the terminal to make the proper connections. The gasoline enters the burner on top of the heat coil and thus is initially raised in temperature.

It is, of course, to be understood that the device will be susceptible of attachment to the carburetors not only of Ford engines, but also by rearrangement in manifold or carburetor.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

hat is claimed is:

1. A heater for the intake manifolds of internal combustion motors comprising a casing adapted to fit about the manifold and having an air inlet near its lower portion and outlets near its upper portion, a burner tube mounted in the casing and having a burner orifice, a barrel of larger diameter than the burner tube forming an extension thereof and having a shoulder therebetween, a core having an inner head and an outer head, said core adapted to slide removably in said barrel, the inner head adapted to engage said shoulder, said outer head provided with a flange to abut against the head of the barrel, a removable cap for holding said outer plug in place, a heating coil wound to said core and grounded about the barrel at its inner end and in connection with a source of current at its outer end, a central rod electrode passing through the core and in connection at its outer end with a source of high tension current, the inner end of said electrode being disposed in spaced relation with the upper portion of the burner tube to provide a spark gap.

2. A heater for the manifolds of gas engines comprising a casing fitted about the manifold and having an air inlet and an outlet for the hot products, a burner tube having a burner orifice extending across the casing beneath the manifold, said tube being separable from the casing, a reservoir, tube for fuel forming a continuation of the burner tube and extending on the outside of the casing, said tubes having a shoulder therebetween adapted to take against the casing, a removable core in the reservoir tube, a heating coil wound about the core, and an electrode extending through the core and having a terminal spaced from thellourner tube to form a spark gap therewit ARCHIE GLENN BRIDGFORD. 

